The noticeable change in weather since yesterday lunchtime continued today and a fresh WNW wind cooled the new day to 9°C. From 07:55 and for the next two hours, a spectacular passage of 25,505 Woodpigeon flew SW over the site. Clouds of birds rose over Exmouth and passed low overhead and caught the attention of many passers by. All counts at this site of ≥5,000 Woodpigeon have occurred 20 Oct - 22 Nov, but massive passage after 07 Nov is rare. Today's count is the ninth largest ever. In Devon, smaller movements of Woodpigeons were reported today at Wembury and South Brent. Further afield, thousands were reported on the move today at single sites in Hampshire, Lincolnshire, West Yorkshire and Co. Louth, in the northeast corner of Republic of Ireland. Only a handful of Stock Dove and one 'Racing Pigeon' were noted in these flocks.
A yellow-ringed Scandinavian Rock Pipit, presumably the returning bird was along the seawall and on groyne 1. Offshore only a single Great Northern Diver was of interest. Wildfowl counts in the estuary on the dropping tide included 202 Dark-bellied Brent Goose with four Pale-bellied Brent Goose mixed in; 316 Wigeon, 141 Teal, 107 Canada Goose (with three offshore), 77 Shelduck, four Mute Swan and the drake Eider. The good run continued with 368 Black-tailed Godwit; other waders counted were 820 Dunlin, 129 Redshank, 83 Grey Plover, 41 Knot, 25 Ringed Plover, two Sanderling and a Greenshank.
In the woods, 14 Long-tailed Tit, mixed tits, five Chiffchaff and two Goldcrest, a Bullfinch and a Chaffinch. At least one Shoveler remained on Main Pond.
Wildlife news: a Buff-tailed Bumblebee and a late hoverfly Melanostoma scalare.
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